Unhappy - feeling pressured

[daylatedollarshort]

Also, if you say something on the phone, only the NSA will know.

The NSA, only government agency that still listens. - from a T-shirt

 

[NW Landlady]

Amethyst,

Your management company is giving you the reason to reject; the credit score, while carefully not telling you to reject on that basis and instead focusing on talking about non-discrimination housing law. This makes any communication between them and you squeaky clean and proper if it were to be brought up in a court of law. They are covering their own butts as well as yours. The more I think about it the more I think they are handling it in just the right way. A proper squeaky clean response from you would be " this tenant is rejected - low credit score". The niggling bit is that your company has never sent you a credit report before in the years they've managed for you, so that would be uncomfortable if brought up in court, but it won't go that far IMO.

You are rejecting on a reasonable basis, and it costs too much to sue just on the hope of a win when the evidence is stacked against you. Don't let this sit too long.

+1 - Calmoki is right on! These days I only rent to those with 700+ credit rating....

As a seasoned Landlady, I have had oodles of unbelievable situations & scams pulled & days in court on evictions. Fortunately, when a problem crops up, my eviction attorney gives free advice -- which has been a god send. I have even gotten tenants out who were on a long Lease and pay rent on time - Its all in how you deal with the situation with legal guidance. They also counseled me on the "service animal" situation. Maybe your rental company can recommend an eviction attorney in the area -- they often give free advice if you are uncertain about how to deal with a situation. They are also up to date on recent court decisions that create new obligations in addition to what is stated in Landlord Tenant law.

 

[Chuckanut]

Yep, you seem to have a perfectly valid reason to not rent to these people.

How to Read Your Credit Score

 

[deserat]

If you are paying the property manager, they work for you. You shouldn't have to explain to them why you would deny a tenant....they should do their job based on the criteria you give them. I had a property manager when I lived overseas.....he asked if I would look into renting to Section 8 people - I said no...turns out the last tenant he rented to broke all of my rules - smoking in the house, pets in the house - tore up the blinds, absconded with one of the closet doors, burned the vinyl in the kitchen. I had quite a bill after that to put it back in livable condition for myself. And they didn't pay their last two months rent....Then my neighbors came by and told me they were ecstatic when they heard I was coming back as there were some serious issues with the tenants - parties, fights, police visits, etc......bottom line - property manager failed. Fired him and will never give him any business again - but then realized I am not a landlord type either....

In any case, I wouldn't feel bad about this at all - it's not personal, it's business and your rules apply when you own the property.

 

[RunningBum]

The point of the explanation isn't for the benefit of the property manager, it is to document a reason for refusal to head off any potential lawsuit from the applicant. A judge isn't going to be impressed by your rules if they include discrimination.

 

[jon-nyc]

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I came across this today describing a whole new use for the 'service animal' scam - avoiding airline fees and cage requirements.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/16/b...t-with-fur-draws-complaints-on-planes.html?hp

 

[H2ODude]

I had no idea! I'm showing up at the airport next time with my two Bassett Hounds; I can give up the xanax I take for flights for the comfort of my emotional support hounds! Who could deny anyone the comforting smell, feel, balls of fur, and slobber of a couple of hound dogs?

Actually, I think this whole thing has gone too far. I remember one time we had a garbage collector who had a degenerative spine problem. HR actually questioned us if there was not some "reasonable accommodation" we could provide him. As in hire someone else to walk with him to do his work? Sometimes life ain't fair; do we have to equalize it for all? I finally bailed out of my career because mentally I couldn't stand it anymore, dealing with politicians. Should have claimed disability.

 

[FreeAtLast]

My son's community service project for high school involved helping to train Service Dogs. Tjere is a training program which is done at a prison in the next county. A group of about a dozen inmates each are assigned a puppy when it is weened from it's mother.
They train the dogs with all of the commands that they need and raise them. My son's job was to take a dog for a weekend and get the dog used to being out in society. A Service dog in training has the same access rights as a service dog when they are wearing their harness.

The dogs will eventually be given to those who can not afford to purchase one.

 

[Amethyst]

Knowing what goes into the training of a real Service Dog (Seeing Eye or other type of aid), and having met quite a few of the real item, I get steamed at the notion of passing off an ordinary pooch as one of these dedicated canines. Still, the world is full of folks who can't "make it" on the up-and-up, so they con whomever they can, any way they can.

I often feel that if con artists put as much effort into doing the right thing, as they do into their con games, they could go far in the world. But then, they wouldn't have as much fun laughing at the rest of us "marks"!

Amethyst